His death is the latest in a series of tragedies in the UK blamed on the substance. It's been linked to more than 60 deaths worldwide.

There have been no recorded DNP-related deaths in Australia and there's no commercial product registered and available here. But it can be bought online and shipped into the country.

Those who have overdosed on DNP have likened it to "cooking from the inside", because it can cause the body to overheat.

DNP is not approved or available in Australia but reportedly sneaks into the country.Source: AP

Chris died at home in Twickenham on 18 June.

At the time, it was believed he may have died from meningitis, but an inquest last week was told the cause of death was the chemical, known as 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP). The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Police are trying to find out where he bought the pills and warned of the risks of DNP.

A spokesman said: "Dinitrophenol has no legitimate use as a medicine or food supplement, and is not safe for human consumption in any form.

"It is a poison which interferes with the normal way the body gets energy from fat. This can lead, as in this case, to death from overheating."

Chris's head teacher Kevin Knibbs said: "He was a sportsman but he was also a very serious academic too. Most importantly of all, he was a fantastic guy, much loved and greatly respected here by all of us."

A NOTE ABOUT RELEVANT ADVERTISING: We collect information about the content (including ads) you use across this site and use it to make both advertising and content more relevant to you on our network and other sites.